In the Beginning

It’s significant to me that in the creation story of Genesis there is no creation of water, but only a division of it. If the water is preexistent then it’s God’s breath moving across it that begins the act of creation, and earth is drawn up from the depths of it. This is consistent with other ancient views of creation and the nature of the earth.

The book of Proverbs contains the earliest reference that I know of to God’s wisdom as a female personage. In it she is the helpmate of God during the creation. She became a prominent figure in gnostic systems.

Here Sophia, the feminine embodiment of God’s Wisdom, is the spirit that moves the waters of creation, resulting in the first invention, light. She holds the dove and the snake of Eden, symbols of life and wisdom.

 

Return to "In the Beginning."

 

(Paintings that feature the Sophia character are "the Thunder," "In the Beginning," "O Fortuna," and "Crucifixion.")